Wire carrying base screed



G, A. KNAPP zmwm WIRE CARRYING BASE'SCREED Mm'ch 311,, R936,

Original Filed May 15, 1931 Patented Mar. 31, 1936 2,036,054

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE CARRYING BASE SCREED George A. Knapp, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Knapp Brothers Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application May 15, 1931, Serial No. 537,532 Renewed December 12, 1934- 4 Claims. (01. 247-3) This invention has to do with devices of the provision of a cover plate having a lower end character employed in wall constructions for adapted to engage over the outer portion of the conducting high and/or low tension wiring, in bottom of the screed, the upper portion being connection with flexible circuit distribution for adaptedto be secured to the screed by a screw.

5 buildings. When it is desired to remove the cover plate, it 5 An object of the invention is to provide a meis necessary merely to remove the screw, wheretallic or like wire carrying base member of' a upon the plate will swing out or may be graspedflexible system of this character which will also and withdrawn.

serve as a screed or ground for the plaster or Further objects and advantages will appear as like material. forming the wall surface proper. the description proceeds. 10

Another object resides in the provision of a On the drawing: wire carrying base screed which does not require Figure 1- is a transverse sectional view, certain securing means in addition to itself for its atparts being shown in elevation, of one form of tachment to a wall. the invention. A further object is to provide a wire carrying Figure 2 is a view similar to Fi ure 1. but Sh W- 1' member which forms an intermediate part of a ing another form of the invention. plaster or like wall, and which constitutes its Figure 3 is an elev l V w Of n f rm of own form. base screed looking toward the right in Fig- Another object resides in the provision of a ure 1. cover for the wire carrying. member, which cover Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of 20 is readily applied and removed, requires no sethe upp portion of the base Screedshown in during elements, and serves at the same time as F gure 2, looking toward the right. molding for the wall. Referring now more particularly to the draw- It is one of the principal objects of this invening, wherein the same parts are indicated by the tion to provide a wire carrying base screed havsame reference characters, a wall coating, which 25, ing compartments or raceways for low and high may be of plaster or other building material, is tension wires and forming a. continuation of a indicated at I. The wall coating I is verti a y plaster, stone or cement wall, and a cover having divided to form the base portion 2 and the upper means cooperating with the raceways for facilportion 3', said portions being spaced apart by a itating application and removal of the cover. wire carrying base screed 4 constructed in ac 30 These means are such as to firmly hold the cover cordance with the present invention. The screed plate in place without rattling, yet to easily 4 is provided with a plurality of return bends release the cover plate when it is desired to 5, 6, and 1 whose foremost extremities are alined remove the same. substantially flush with the wall face 8, said A further object of the invention is to provide bends being spacedapart to provide a plurality 35 a wire carrying base screed adapted to form a of wire carrying compartments or raceways 9. continuation of, and co-extensi-ve in thickness While the lower two bends 5 and 6 are substanwith, a wall or wall coating, and provided with tially of the same formation, the upper bend 1 is a cover adapted to serve simultaneously as a previded With a Substantial bighi? po t on i) 0 base board or chair rail or like molding for the whoseoutersurface is substantially flush with the 4.0 wall. wall face or plaster line 8 andwhich has a tapped In carrying out the invention into practice, a Opening The pp arm 12 f the b d I is base screed is provided with compartments or inclined downwardly y from e Wall face 8 to raceways for carrying high and/or low tension provide knee Which Serves a a ound for the i5 wires and having upper and lower plaster ground plaster 0-1 the like Of which the wall I is conportions. A cover plate for the screedis provided structed. The arm I2 is prefe ab y provided W with means cooperating with the screed in such a plu ality o Op i3 p d g access of a manner as to be readily attachable to and the soft plaster to the interior of the bend l to removable from the screed. When it is desired insure proper binding between the plaster and to remove the cover plate it is necessary to enthe screed 4. It will be noted that the lower arm 50 gage the bottom thereof and lift the same, where- M (if the bend T is imperfereie S0 that e 00mupon the cover plate may be lifted out to thereby partments 9- are entirely free fromplaster. The provide access to the wiring carried by the racerear wall 15 of the screed 4 has its surface subways, stantially flush with the rear face [5 of the plas- Another form of the invention embodies the ter coating, and the margins I! of the screed are 5.

likewise flush with the face I 6. Suitable projecting pins ill or the like have their heads embedded in the plaster or the like, and extend rearwardly beyond the face 16 to provide anchors by which the screed 4 is secured to the 'mtermediate lath or other wall construction (not shown) before the application of the plaster wall coating.

Wires or the like may be held in place by stamped holding clips l5a suitably spaced and attached to the rear wall [5. Said clips |5a are also spaced to over-lap each joint to form a joint plate and also a ground connection at the joint.

The cover plate to be employed in connection with the screed 4 is designated at l9 and has its lower end 20 rounded and return bent and then offset laterally at 2| to conform with the meeting portions of the face 8 and the bend 5. The upper end 22 of the cover plate [9 is likewise return bent and lies entirely between the main body portion of the plate and the face 8 of the wall coating. A screw 23 has its head fitting in a counter bore 24 in the plate [9 and is in threaded engagement with the tapped opening ll of the base screed 4. It is thus apparent that the cover plate 19 presents a smooth appearance and at the same time effectively covers the raceways or compartments 9. In order to remove a plate I9, it is necessary merely to back off the screw or screws 23 from engagement with the bight portion ll] of the screed 4, whereupon the plate I9 is free to be drawn away from the screed.

In the second form of the invention, a base screed 25 has a bottom bend 26 which is inclined downwardly away from the face 8 of the plaster coating I. An intermediate bend 21 serves as a partition between the compartments or raceways 26. The upper bend 29, as in the construction shown in Figure 1, has an upper arm 30 constituting in effect a knee which serves as a plaster ground for the upper portion 3 of the wall and is provided with openings 3| for the entry of the soft plaster to insure proper binding. The bight 32 of the bend 29 inclines downwardly away from the face 8 of the wall coating I, a portion 34 being struck forwardly from the lower portion 33 of the bight 32 to provide with the latter a tongue receiving recess 40.

A cover plate 35 has its lower marginal flange turned back upon itself at 36 and offset downwardly and rearwardly at 31. The portion 31 may be resilient and engages the upper surface of the bend 26 at a point spaced from the wall face 8. The upper margin of the cover 35 is return bentat 38 and then offset downwardly and rearwardly at 39. The portion 39 is inclined at substantially the same angle as the portions 32 and 34 of the base screed 25 and fits in the recess 40 therebetween. The visible edges 4| of the cover 35 are rounded and it will be seen that the offset portion 34 and the bend 26 will cooperate to prevent direct lateral removal of the plate 35. When it is desired to move the plate 35, it is necessary to apply pressure at the lower edge 4| thereof to shift the cover bodily upward and forward in a direction parallel to its offset marginal portion 39.

The offset portion 31 serves not only to resist direct lateral removal of the plate 35 but functions additionally to prevent rattling between the cover plate 35 and the base screed 25. It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the base screed provided in accordance with this invention is secured directly to the plaster or the like wall, thereby obviating the need for screws and the like for the attachment of the screed. Moreoventhe cover plate is so constructed in connection with the base screed as to be capable of expeditious application and removal.

The cover plate may therefore serve as a chair rail or any other desired molding for the room, and the construction as a whole is extremely simple, since it involves merely a single wire carrying screed and one or more cover plate sheet metal sections which may be easily attached and removed, and wherein the base screed serves as its own form and provides a ground for both the upper and the lower portions of the plaster or the like wall coating, thereby obviating additional attaching means.

In constructing a wall in accordance with this invention, the wire carrying base screed is first secured by bolts or the like I8 to the lath, not shown. Referring by way of example to the construction shown in Figure 2, the arm 30 constitutes a plaster ground to gage the thickness of the plaster, and the plaster is placed over the arm 30, the rear face 44 of the upper part 3 of the wall coating I being in abutment with the corresponding face of the lath, the forward face 8 of the plaster portion 3 being formed flush with the foremost extremity 42 of the plaster ground 30.

The lower portion 2 of the plaster wall coating I is then applied against the corresponding portion of the lath and its forward face 8 is formed flush with the foremost extremity 43 of the bend 26, which in effect constitutes a plaster ground. Of course, the wiring may be placed in the low tension compartment 28 while the plaster is hardening, or at any time after the screed 25 has been secured by the elements I8 to the lath.

It will be seen that by the present construction, the member 25 serves not only as a conduit for the wires, but additionally as a part of the wall.

It will be further understood that while I have described as illustrative means affording a. passage for wiring, pipes or similar conduits may also be carried in said passage and the terms wire, wires and wiring are intended to be considered as including pipes or conduits for any purpose.

I am aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. Wall construction comprising a screed for engaging spaced portions of a wall, said screed being of substantially channel shape and constituting a conduit for carrying wiring, a readily attachable and detachable cover for said screed, and including a return bent inwardly extending flange seated upon the upper surface of the lower part of the screed at a point spaced rearwardly of the plane of the wall surface, and fastening means for securing the cover to the upper part of the screed.

2. Wall construction comprising a screed for engaging spaced portions of a wall, said screed being of substantially channel shape and constituting a conduit for carrying wiring, a readily attachable and detachable cover for said screed, and including a return bent inwardly extending flange seated upon the upper surface of the lower partof the screed at a point spaced rearwardly of the plane of the wall surface, and fastening means for securing the cover to the upper part of the screed, said cover entirely concealing said screed.

3. A wall construction comprising an upper portion, a base portion, a conduit embedded in said wall and including upper and lower plaster grounds, the lower ground comprising a longitudinal corrugation with an upper and lower fold, a cover for said conduit, said cover including a bearing portion for resting on the lower ground by engagement upon the upper fold of the lower ground at a point rearwardly spaced from the plane of the wall surface, and means rigidly connecting the upper part of the cover to the conduit whereby said cover is detachably held in place, said cover having an overall height in excess of the overall height of the exposed portion of the conduit, whereby when said cover is in place, said conduit is completely concealed from view. A

4. A wall construction comprising an upper portion, a base portion, a conduit embedded in said wall and including upper and lower plaster grounds, the lower ground comprising a longitudinal corrugation with an upper and lower fold, a cover for said conduit, said cover including a bearing portion for resting on the lower ground by engagement upon the upper fold of the lower ground at a point rearwardly spaced from the plane of the wall surface, said bearing portion being an integral extension of the lower edge of the cover, return bent and with the edge extending rearwardly, and means rigidly connecting the upper part of the cover to the conduit, whereby said cover is detachably held in place, said cover having an overall height in excess of the overall height of the exposed portion of the conduit, whereby when said cover is in place, said conduit is completely concealed from view.

GEORGE A. KNAPP. 

